Framingham 0, Newton North 0: Frustrating day for the Flyers

Jeremy Gottlieb/Daily News correspondent

Tuesday

Sep 30, 2008 at 12:01 AMSep 30, 2008 at 12:37 AM

It was a frustrating afternoon for the Framingham boys soccer team. The Flyers hosted Bay State Carey Division rival Newton North, and the Tigers didn't come to Framingham to get a win. Newton North used a defense-oriented 4-5-1 alignment that served to keep high-powered Framingham from scoring. It also kept the Tigers from mounting much of an attack and the game ended in a 0-0 draw.

It was a frustrating afternoon for the Framingham boys soccer team.

The Flyers hosted Bay State Carey Division rival Newton North, and the Tigers didn't come to Framingham to get a win. They came to prevent the Flyers from winning and earn a point. Newton North used a defense-oriented 4-5-1 alignment that served to keep high-powered Framingham from scoring. It also kept the Tigers from mounting much of an attack - they didn't generate a single shot on goal in the second half - and the game ended in a 0-0 draw.

"The only way I think to beat these guys is the way we played today," said Newton North coach Ucal McKenzie, whose team now stands at 4-2-2. "They like to just have teams rush at them and then they open you up. But today we said, 'Let's see if they can beat 11 of us behind the ball.' If they can beat us that way then I tip my hat to them. I'd rather they beat us with one striker and the midfield stacked.

"That was the tactic today. These guys are on another level. You have to understand what you're up against when you play them. The game plan was exactly that - make it ugly and get a point."

The Flyers - now 5-0-3 - did everything they could to try to light up the scoreboard. Chance after chance came and went with senior Erik Nader, juniors Gustavo Santos and Matheus Goncalves and sophomore Jon Silva peppering Newton North goalie Jonah Poster with all kinds of shots. Framingham completely dominated play in the second half, generating scoring opportunities and blistering the Newton North back line.

But the hosts couldn't finish, a fact not lost on coach Dan Avery.

"It was a so-so first half but in the second half we dominated play," said Avery. "Their keeper just made one great play after another. You have to give him credit. He made some great saves. There wasn't much more we could have done. They were playing for a tie and they were excited to get the tie. They earned it. If there was anything more we could have done, we would have done it.

"It's frustrating to control the play and not be able to finish. There were at least two plays I thought were goals and their keeper just came out of nowhere to make great saves."

Poster was on his game throughout, but he saved his best moments for late in the contest. At the 61-minute mark, Framingham's Aaron Kanarek turned on a dime from 10 yards out with a defender on each hip and blasted a high shot only to have Poster punch the ball over the crossbar. Not quite four minutes later, the Newton North tri-captain foiled Santos, who sidestepped a defender and launched a shot toward the top right corner of the net but was denied by another punch save.

And with 10 minutes left to play, Poster made the save of the game when he dove to his left to graze a header off a corner kick by midfielder Marlon Ramalho, forcing another corner.

"It's something that goes along with the position and I enjoy the responsibility," said Poster of facing the constant barrage of pressure he saw all afternoon. "We've been in similar situations before and we've practiced for it. We knew how good they were. They would send everyone up, we'd have everyone back. It all went according to plan for us and we're happy with the result."

The Flyers had one final golden opportunity with just under seven minutes left when Santos deked two Tiger defenders and drew Poster out of his crouch and out of position. But even though he had Poster beat, the Framingham forward couldn't control the ball long enough to get anything on his shot and the ball sailed wide of the net.

The final whistle blew a short time later, leading to a mini-celebration by Newton North. As Avery said, they got what they came for.

"You can't be disappointed at all," said McKenzie. "We've played great against other teams, but against this team I've been with teams that have been beaten too many times 5-0 or 6-0. Today we said no to that. I don't care what people say, I only care about the result."

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